Can’t you just see LeBron James and Kevin Durant deciding they’ve had enough of each other’s acts in the middle of an NBA Finals matchup and treating the fans to the sight of two superstars trading haymakers at mid-court?
Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat says he thinks that sounds like a “pretty cool idea.”
As reported by Crave sports site NESN, the 6-11, 240 lb. Polish export told ESPN.com’s True Hoop that the best way for the NBA to allow players to settle their differences would be to adopt an NHL-style attitude to fights; specifically, letting players beat the holy crap out of each other.
“Today you go to an ice hockey game, and the one thing that they’re waiting for is a fight, you know what I’m saying,” Gortat explained. “So if they could set up something like that in the NBA. That if there are two guys and they have a problem, if they could just separate everybody, and these two people that have problem, if they could fight…”
“During the game. Quick 15-20 seconds, throw few punches, then referees jump in and break this thing up. I think the game…these two guys, they resolved their problem.”
Oh…kay.
This all might make more sense when you realize Gortat’s dad was Janusz Gortat, a light-heavyweight boxer who took home bronze medals for Poland at both the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games.
Regardless of where Gortat is coming from, this idea has about as much chance of getting traction with NBA decision-makers as a four-point shot…but it’s fun to speculate.
Commence with your NBA most-wanted fights list in 3, 2, 1…
“I would say I would loosen up a little bit the rules about the fighting fines,” Gortat said. “That’s what I would loosen up. Because today you go to an ice hockey game, and the one thing they’re waiting for is a fight, you know what I’m saying? So if they could set it up something like that in the NBA. That if there are two guys and they have a problem, if they could just separate everybody, and these two people that have problem, if they could fight …
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/03/wizards-marcin-gortat-nba-should-allow-in-game-fighting/
Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat says NBA players should be allowed to settle their differences the way NHLers do — with their fists. Gortat said Monday in a lengthy Q&A with ESPN.com’s TrueHoop that one NBA rule he would change would be to allow in-game fights, which are almost always met with a very hefty fine and/or suspension under the current rules. “I would say I would loosen up a little bit the rules about the fighting fines,” Gortat said. “That’s what I would loosen up. Because today you go to an ice hockey game, and the one thing they’re waiting for is a fight, you know what I’m saying? So if they could set it up something like that in the NBA. That if there are two guys and they have a problem, if they could just separate everybody, and these two people that have problem, if they could fight … “During the game. Quick, 15-20 seconds, throw few punches, then referees jump in and break this thing up. I think the game … these two guys, they resolved their problem. They’re both suspended, and they’re leaving. But end of the day, they fix the problem between each other, fans are super excited, and I think that would be a pretty cool idea.” Unfortunately for Gortat, there is almost zero chance of the NBA even considering such a proposal. And, even if it did, finding willing sparring partners would likely be a little bit difficult for a guy who stands 6-foot-11 and looks like this:
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/03/wizards-marcin-gortat-nba-should-allow-in-game-fighting/
